calzone, pizza, breadstick dough!!

Let me start out by saying that this recipe is so good and versatile that it has made it to my cupboard door!! And in my house that only happens when it is a great recipe!!

I went looking for the perfect dough to make calzones with. Calzones and us we have a history. Colin purposed on New Years Eve, and earlier in the evening he had made calzones for us to eat. So now we make them every new years eve, but I have never been satisfied with the dough. It has never been just right for me. And then when Tyler was born my incredible friend Mandy (who is also from Washington, I love that I had to come to Rexburg to meet her!! She is a- maz-ing, when we get back into a house she will be my first call to be my decorator! Oh yeah and you should check out her blog, her and her 2 sisters started a blog with lots of cute ideas. Seriously she is my hero!) brought over calzones for everyone and we all ate them up so fast. And guess what the dough (of course) was perfect. And instead of asking her for her recipe, because I feel like all I do is copy her, I went looking for one. And I think I found it. I actually already had it. I had used it to make some yummy garlic bread sticks!! I found it here. I Love this dough recipe. I have used it to make bread sticks, cheesy garlic rolls, pizza, and calzones. It is so easy and so perfect!! My kids had a ball helping roll out there own dough and putting on their own toppings. If you would like more of a step by step tutorial you can find it here.


Dough recipe

1 1/2 c. warm (105-115 degrees) water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 1/2 c. flour


In a large bowl (the bowl of your mixer, if you have one), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes or until yeast is bubbly.

Add salt and stir. Add 1 1/2 c. flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (usually between 3-4 cups, depending on your elevation and your humidity) until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a glass or metal bowl with cooking spray and place dough in the bowl.
Cover and allow to rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

From there you can either roll into pizza dough, calzones, or breadsticks.

yes I know they are still in there pjs in the middle of the day, don't judge people

Calzones -

take a small amount of dough and roll out , on one side add Italian dressing then top with your favorite topping. pull other side over and pinch side to seal closed. I cooked mine in a 375 oven for about 10 minutes. Have some marinara sauce for dipping.

Pizza-
one recipe will make about 2 medium pizzas. Roll out dough and the prick with a fork to get holes in it so you dont have bubbly dough. After this, if you like crispy crust brush with olive oil and itialian seasoning or garlic salt/ powder and bake for 5-10 minutes. Take out then add you sauce and toppings then stick back in the oven. bake at 425 for 10 -12 minutes



breadsticks-
Remove from bowl and place on a lightly-floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Roll into a rectangle and cut into 12 strips with a pizza cutter.Roll out each piece of dough into a snake and then drape over your forefinger and twist the dough. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining 11 pieces of dough. Try to space them evenly, but it's okay if they're close; pulling apart hot bread is one of life's greatest pleasures! Cover pan and allow dough to rise for another 30 minutes.
When there's about 15 minutes to go, preheat your oven to 425. When done rising, bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Rub some butter on top of the breadsticks (just put a ziploc bag on your hand, grab some softened butter, and have at it) and sprinkle with garlic bread seasoning or the powdery Parmesan cheese in a can and garlic salt.



I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. Maybe it will make your cupboard door as well!!

Moons Pizza Dough

My mom has been making this pizza dough for as long as I can remember!! This is one of my great memories growing up. My mom always made a bunch of dough then we would each get to pick a pan (usually a round cake pan, or an 8x8 ) and make our own pizzas. My mom would have all the topping in bowls lined up and we would just make our own creations and do weird designs so we could tell who's was who's in the oven!!!! We make it in our kitchen aid turns out great!!!


Moon’s pizza dough

2 tablespoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons oil (vegetable or olive oil)
4 ½ -6 ½ cups flour

Mix water, sugar and yeast together, let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt, oil, and 4 cups of flour. Knead together for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour ½ cup at a time if needed. We like the dough really soft. After you have the desired amount of flour in, Knead for 5 more minutes. Cover and let rise until doubled. Punch down. Grease pizza pans (this recipe make 2 large cookie sheet pizzas, or a bunch of small individual pizzas) spread dough out onto pan. Poke holes in the dough before you put any toppings on to prevent air bubbles. Top with desired sauce and toppings. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 -20 minutes!!

enjoy!!!

Garlic Chicken Pizza

1 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. onions, diced (I like to just use half of an onion sliced, for bigger pieces)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
6 oz. chicken breast, cut into bit sized pieces
mushrooms
chopped tomato
Pizza Dough
Alfredo sauce
Grated Parmesan
Shredded Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese

Saute chicken with oil and herbs, onions, and salt, until chicken is cooked.
Spread alfredo sauce on pizza dough, top with shredded cheese. Top with meat, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Grate Parmesan on top. Bake at 475 for 10-12 minutes.

Alfredo Sauce

This is an easy one that using things I have on hand, so if I need something last minute it works well, I also use this for my Garlic Chicken Pizza.


4 Tbs. butter or margarine
4 Tb.s flour
1 1/2 tsp. dry parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. onion powder
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
3 c. milk (if you want you can do half milk half half and half)
1/2 - 3/4 c. parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a sauce pan, add flour and cook for a couple minutes. Then add all the rest of the ingredients except the milk and cheese and stir together. Slowly add milk, whisking together. Bring back to a boil and allow to thicken. Then slowly stir in cheese. Serve over noodles or allow to cool and use as a sauce on pizza.

Christie's Calzones

So this recipe came from one of my sisters-in-law and it is a little different than your normal calzone, but kind of fun at times.

Pizza dough (can use refrigerated dough, but I like them better with homemade pizza dough).
Italian Dressing
Mozzarella Cheese
Toppings: ham, pepperoni, olives, mushrooms, peppers, whatever else you like.

Roll the dough out on a flat cookie sheet. Spread about a Tablespoon of dressing down the center of the dough. Cover with cheese and toppings. Pull the sides of the dough up toward the center and press together to form a seam. Cut slits to let steam "escape" and cook at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown on top. Serve with alfredo, marinara, or ranch to dip in (or all three if you are us).

Easy Calzones

1 package of Rhodes white bread(comes with 3 in a pack)
Mozzarella cheese
Long horn cheese(use whatever cheese you prefer)
Sliced pepperoni or ham(canadian bacon)
1 can of spaghetti or pizza sauce
favorite toppings, olives, green peppers,etc.

Preheat oven to 350. Follow directions on thawing bread dough on the pkg. Roll out each loaf into rectangles and sprinkle both kinds of cheese on half the dough. Then layer the ham or pepperoni and favorite toppings as much as desired. Fold dough over and pinch around edges. Spray Pam on cookie sheet, place calzones on cookie sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and let them sit for 5 minutes, slice pieces and dip them in heated sauce.

California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chicken Pizza

Got this from a copy cat site...very good! Make sure you use real smoked gouda...I got some cheap, processed stuff once, and it completely ruined the pizza!

Ingredients:

Pizza crust for a large pizza
1/2 c. + 2T. Tony Roma's original bbq sauce (or your favorite)
1.5 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. shredded smoked gouda cheese
1/4 small red onion, sliced into rings
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped (I love cilantro, so we always use a lot more than 2 T...I just sprinkle it liberally over the pizza)
10 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cooked (I like the flavor best if it is grilled)

-Cut chicken breasts into pieces and coat with 2 T. bbq. sauce
-Spread crust with bbq sauce, top with chicken, onions, and cheese.
-Bake at 400 degrees 15-20 minutes or till crust is browned and cheese is melted. Top with cilantro.

You can also make this pizza on the bbq grill:

-Heat grill, covered, on high, for 5-10 minutes.
-REDUCE HEAT to med-low, and add crust
-spread with bbq sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese.
-cook, covered, till cheese is melted...watch it carefully so it doesn't burn!
-top with cilantro

Tomato Basil Pizza

My friend Jill in Florida used to make this and I LOVE IT! She made it on dough she got at Sam's Club...apparently you can buy balls of dough from their concession place at the front of the store that sells pizza, or at least you could in Florida! If not, any pizza crust that you like would be great.

Ingredients:

Crust for 1 large pizza
2 c. Mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I really think that fresh, good quality Parmesan makes a difference, but it's your choice!)
2 T. chopped fresh basil (tried it once with dried basil...nowhere NEAR as good!)
2/3 c. Mayonnaise
2 cloves fresh garlic, pressed (please don't use the bottled garlic for this!)
4-6 roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

-Mix 1.5 c. of the mozzarella with the parmesan, basil, mayo, and garlic. Spread over crust.
-Top with the tomato slices and the rest of the mozzarella
-bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

I love this pizza dough...I think it's a lot better if you use freshly ground wheat (I like the white wheat better than red) instead of the stuff you buy at the store. I think this recipe usually makes 2 pizzas...

1 t. brown sugar
1.5 cups warm water
1 T. yeast
1 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
3-3.25 c. whole wheat flour
1 t. garlic powder
1.5 t. Italian seasoning
1.5 t. dried basil

-Dissolve sugar in water. Add yeast. Let proof till frothy.
-Add oil and salt, then flour
-Knead 8-10 minutes (preferably in a Kitchen Aid or Bosch mixer)
-Turn dough out into an oiled bowl and let raise 1 hour
-Punch dough down, divide in 2, let rise 45 minutes (this rise is optional...I think it makes it taste better, though)
-Roll out (I like to roll it out either on corn meal, or coat my oiled pan with corn meal to make the dough a little chewier), place on oiled pan (at this point you can let it rise again for 10-30 minutes if you like a softer crust, or don't bother if you like a thinner crust)
-Bake at 425 for 10 minutes, remove from oven, top with desired toppings, and bake another 10-15 minutes till toppings are cooked to desired done-ness.

cup cake pizza's

My kids love these. We fix them for lunch and they are a big hit. The best part is you don't have to let the dough rise! its quick and easy!

1 cup water
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1 tbsp oil
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp. salt

mix dough ingredients together. Put small amount of dough in each circle, flatten, add toppings sauce, cheese peperoni's. put in oven and cook until dough is done and cheese is melted. 350 for about 15 min give or take depending on your oven! I usally just watch it take them when they "look" done!

Basic Pizza Dough

I figured I'd start with my basic pizza dough, which a lot of people seem to like. Cori I promise I'll post the recipe for the Chicken Alfredo pizza later, so hopefully we'll have a post almost every day.

Pizza Dough (makes 2 12-inch pizza or one large rectangular cookie sheet size)

2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 1/3 c. warm water
1 Tbs. sugar
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 c. flour
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

Combine yeast, water, and sugar in mixing bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix them together. Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes, if you are using a machine 5 minutes, so dough is smooth and elastic. Transfer dough to a bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil and turn it over once to coat the dough with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 60-90 minutes, until doubled in size.
Preheat oven to 475. Grease and dust 2 cookie sheet with cornmeal (I usually don't use cornmeal, I just grease it). If you are using a baking stone preheat it in the oven for 45 minutes. Punch the dough down and divide it in half (for 2 round pizza) or don't divide if you want to make a large rectangular pizza. Roll each piece into a ball and let rest covered loosely with plastic wrap for 10-15 minutes. At this point get your toppings ready.
Flatten each ball and form into the shape you want. Place dough on prepared pan, if you are using a stone place it on the paddle dusted with cornmeal. You can brush the top of the dough with olive to prevent crust from getting soggy, I usually don't do this.
Use your fingertips to push dents in the surface of the dough to prevent bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes.
Top the pizza and bake for 10-12 minutes (I'm not sure how long to cook it with a pizza stone, so you'll have to check on it and figure it out if you are using one.